


T-Shirt Mixup

by loki_of_jotunheim



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26623402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loki_of_jotunheim/pseuds/loki_of_jotunheim
Summary: "Wait - wait - wait, you're saying Bucky's the rule follower? And Steve's the troublemaker? What happened since 70 years ago to change that?!"Or: People assume things about Steve and Bucky. The two feel it's time to correct everyone.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 2
Kudos: 83





	T-Shirt Mixup

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this tweet: https://twitter.com/vacueye/status/1300125097974353920?s=20
> 
> Basically, I saw the shirt, thought of Steve and Bucky. I also am fond of the trope where Steve corrects that assumption, and where the team is a family. Also, the headcanon that Steve was a socialist or something similar. And the vents one. and..yeah. So...here we go. 
> 
> I honestly didn't really set this at any point in the MCU so...just assume Buckys with the team, and they're all a family in the tower.
> 
> (While editing this I got the desire to write a coming out on twitter fic. Even though there's so many of them already. S i g h. Might, might not, I don't know.)

"I come bearing gifts!" Tony announced cheerily as he entered the commons area, plopping down a small pile of clothes on the table behind the couch. "Boy band members come and get yours. Natasha! Here's yours." Nat caught the t-shirt with ease. "Clint! Here's yours. Bruce! Come're!" Bruce paused as he tried to discreetly get some food in the kitchen (Bucky remembered vaguely that he'd been working on an experiment.). "Steve! You're just in time! Bucky, come here, I want to give you both yours at the same time." Steve, after a confused glance at Bucky, shrugged and headed to Stark. The two took their proffered t-shirts and unrolled them.

Steve stared at his shirt briefly while Bucky was biting back large guffaws of laughter. He finally gave in after yet another confused look from Steve. 

"Steve, he thinks -" Bucky managed, "-he thinks I'm the troublemaker." 

Steve, who had actually clued into the meaning seconds after Bucky, had slowly started grinning. 

"We might have to switch shirts then….or we could confuse the hell out of everyone and keep em'. Might work for spy stuff." Steve said casually, though his face was just as mischievous as Bucky's was. 

"Wait - wait - wait," Tony butted in frantically. "You're saying Bucky's the rule follower? And Steve's the troublemaker? What's happened since 70 years ago to change _that_?!" 

Steve winced and rubbed a hand awkwardly on the back of his neck at Bucky's incredulous glance at him. 

"....I died and came back to find everyone I cared about dead?" He offered sheepishly, and oops, he really hadn't meant for that to be so harsh. Tony stopped mid-breath and shut his mouth with a tiny clack. 

"...yeah I got nothing for you there. Uh…. Sorry." He did sound regretful and Steve gave a grateful nod. 

"That explains your change in behavior these last few weeks." Clint, who'd been half dangling out an air vent, finally spoke, startling everyone but Natasha and Bruce, surprisingly. Steve swore as his coffee almost splashed. "...huh. anyways. You've definitely changed, Cap. Good job on getting him to relax Barnes." 

"Okay, while we're on the subject, why does everyone call you Cap? Did they legally change your name or something?" That had been bothering him since Bucky had met up with Steve. He caught the repressed sighs and eye rolls every time it happened but he never said anything. 

"Uh." Now it was Steve's turn to squirm silently. "I mean."

"Wait, are you telling me they can't tell the difference between you in the Cap role or you as Steve?" Bucky said incredulously. "No, wait - Steve. Stevie. Seriously? Stark, do you have a time travel machine so I can wack this idiot on the head in 2012? Or better yet, earlier?" 

"What?" Steve protested.

"Steve. You were the one who was so adamant about the separation between you and Captain America." Bucky said seriously. "You're a dumbass. Also, you need to actually go to your therapy. You can't just….drift around because I'm not here or Peggy's not here or something."

"I'm not any-" Steve stopped. "I'm not." He finished more quietly. 

"Uh-huh." Bucky raised an eyebrow. "Look. If you'd rather mesh things I get it. But...I don't think you want to. Am I right?"

Steve didn't meet his eyes. Bucky knew that was a yes.

"Alright then. If you keep doing this bullshit I'm gonna have to kick your ass. Just because you can kick mine right back doesn't mean I won't do it." Bucky shook his head. "Just. Don't destroy yourself over this. Please. It's not healthy and I know I would have told your ass off if I'd been around." Bucky walked over to Steve and pulled him into a hug. "Punk."

"Jerk." Steve said, finally smiling. 

The two finally turned back into the rest of the room, finding Tony holding Natasha's hand over his mouth, Natasha's face one of resigned tolerance. Clint was on the floor, unabashedly staring at them, softness radiating off of every inch of his body. Bruce was quietly smiling over his tea. (Thor was on Asgard.)

Tony released Natasha's hand. 

"...you two are adorable." He finally settled on. "I literally can't find anything better to say because that was adorable. And with that I'm going to go back to my lab because I would feel horrible about saying something rude right now and while that is a first I'm taking it." Tony practically ran out of the room. Nat sprawled back on the couch. Clint situated himself in the small area left on the couch, hooking his legs on the top. 

"So did they know you were a socialist?" Bucky finally asked. Clint choked and fell off the couch again. "The answer to that is no." 

"They also didn't know I stole a car….multiple times. There was a war." Steve defended to Natasha's raised eyebrows. "We liberated them from Nazis." 

"Liberated them from Nazis!" Clint signed incredulously. "Only you Ca- Steve."

" _Now_ you're getting it." Bucky said satisfactorily.

\---

The media had a field day when they saw the shirts. 

"Steve Rogers shirt mixup?" "Is Cap pulling a prank on the world?" "Bucky Barnes - Captain America's baby sitter?"

"That last one isn't entirely wrong." Bucky agreed as they came across it, cooking breakfast for the team. Some блины (blini, or pancakes) for Nat, some dark coffee in an extra pot for Clint, and a meal and some snacks for Tony as he worked. Bruce's tea was set to the side on a hot plate and was steaming gently, and his small pile of sausage was next to it. He also had snacks. (He denied the hell out of it but he was just as bad as Tony in the lab sometimes.) 

"....I mean. You're not my babysitter, but you're more of a…uh. I don't know. Something that also says you try but aren't exactly successful at babysitting."

"Mom friend," Bucky said. Steve blinked. 

Bucky was absolutely right. 

"Huh." Steve said. "That's exactly it."

"I really hope I'm not your mom though because I'm kind of in love with you." Bucky muttered, almost so quiet Steve couldn't hear. Steve's eyes widened.

"You too?!" He exclaimed, instead of the other, less starling things he'd rather have said. Bucky jumped anyways and the blini batter went flying. 

"What?! Wait - too?" Bucky finally managed to put together coherent words. "How fucking long?"

"...since...we were 16." Steve admitted. "It's when I knew for a fact, anyways."

"...fuck. I was… about 16 too," Bucky admitted. "Well. Uh. So."

"Yes, I'm still in love with you, you punk." Steve said with a wide grin. He headed around the counter and after a second, hugged Bucky. "Wanna go dancing?" 

"Do dance halls still exist?" Bucky wondered. "If they do then yes. If not, we'll have to find somewhere else to go on a date."

"I'd love that," Steve said sincerely. 

"I would too," Bucky said softly. 

"Oh. Wait. Uh. Shit I didn't say it back - love you too, Bucky." Steve said triumphantly. Bucky smiled a wide smile and gently pulled Steve in for a small kiss. They stood hugging for a moment before the smell of burning invaded their small bubble. 

"Oh shit, the blini!" Bucky exclaimed. 

**Author's Note:**

> ...yeah I went with the 16 because "Suddenly I was a 16-year-old boy from Brooklyn again."


End file.
